Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Rape on Campus

.Misguided

“Reporting on rape has unique challenges, but the
journalist still has the responsibility to get it right. I hope that my
mistakes in reporting this story do not silence the voices of victims that need
to be heard.”

“Rolling Stone’s story, ‘A Rape on Campus,’ did
nothing to combat sexual violence, and it damaged serious efforts to address
the issue. Irresponsible journalism unjustly damaged the reputations of many
innocent individuals and the University of Virginia. Rolling Stone falsely
accused some University of Virginia students of heinous, criminal acts, and
falsely depicted others as indifferent to the suffering of their classmate. The
story portrayed university staff members as manipulative and callous toward victims
of sexual assault. Such false depictions reinforce the reluctance sexual
assault victims already feel about reporting their experience, lest they be
doubted or ignored.”

—Teresa A. Sullivan, president, University of Virginia, in
statement on report about the Rolling Stone story, New York Times, April 5,
2015

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